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One thing you could never accuse Yes of is restraint. The same band that gave us double albums consisting of four song titles has now released their ‘authorized’ biography, and it is almost as overwhelmingly self-indulgent as “Tales of Topographic Oceans” – but I wouldn’t want it any other way.
I loved Yes in the ‘70s. They were such a unique animal that they stood apart from virtually anything else on the scene at that time, and to be sure, no other band ever really approached their combination of intelligence and overkill. The Roger Dean-designed cover for this package promises something extraordinary, as if the old band had somehow turned back the time machine to the days of their classic era. Of course, that would be impossible, but there are elements of this collection that revive old sentiments for the band most responsible for creating ‘progressive rock’.
Except for background and severely edited bits, the first disk contains virtually no music at all. Instead, the disk rambles on for three and one-half hours of interviews with virtually every bandmember. You could play “The Yes Album” six times in the amount of time it takes to view the interviews on disk one. “Gone With the Wind” is concise in comparison, but the interviews are nonetheless fascinating. Once you get past the visual image of how each member has aged (Chris Squire was almost unrecognizable to me), it becomes apparent that 200+ minutes of interviews is appropriate for a band known for its bombast and sprawling vision. Each member is extraordinarily honest and candid in their recollections, and amusing as well. The video is edited extremely well, switching from person to person with a continuity that allows us to see various aspects of the same story. It is wonderful to see each member speak with candor, and fans will get to know each bandmember in ways that were previously impossible.
As if that weren’t enough, a second disk contains an additional hour or so of edited interview footage, which is complete overkill. Comparatively, the music content is paltry, with three vintage videos (that are hilarious in retrospect) and some low-tech, extraneous rehearsal footage dating from 1996. In short, the entire package revolves around whether or not you care to hear the bandmembers recount the convoluted story of one of rock and roll’s most tumultuous bands. It is long (and long-winded), but it is also a wondrous story.
Grade: 
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